SynthesisFrontiers in public health2025
Move your body, stay away from depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of exercise-based prevention of depression in middle-aged and older adults.
Synthesis in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Community-based square dancing is associated with improved physical and mental health in older adults: a 12-week randomized controlled trial in China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Trial
- Unveiling the Digital Phenotype of Physical Activity Behavior in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Using Machine Learning.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The relationship between physical activity and mental health in middle-aged and older Chinese adults: a moderated mediation and cross-lagged model.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to systematically assess the efficacy of exercise interventions in preventing depression among middle-aged and older adults. It further sought to dissect the impact of various intervention factors on the exercise-depression nexus within this demographic. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across multiple databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, spanning from their inception through April 2024. The initial search yielded several studies, from which 11 papers involving a total of 792 subjects were selected based on predetermined inclusion criteria. Results: Our meta-analysis revealed a significant overall effect size (SMD = -3.64) with a 95% confidence interval of [-4.81, -2.48] and a Conclusion: Exercise interventions, particularly balance and gentle training as well as functional training, significantly reduce the risk of depression among middle-aged and older adults. The most pronounced effects were observed in group exercise settings and with exercise sessions lasting 30-40 min. Interventions of medium duration generally outperformed shorter-term interventions. Despite these promising results, the observed heterogeneity and other potential study limitations suggest a need for further research involving larger samples and more comprehensive study designs to refine and optimize exercise protocols for depression prevention in this population.
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Registered trials
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